Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, so-so transfer
Review: "Das Boot" stands as Wolfgang Petersen's best movie bar none. No movie he's directed before or since can match it in terms of the sheer scope and power of this claustrophobic war thriller. Set on a German sub during WWII, the crew's mission is to patrol the North Atlantic and destroy an Allied armada headed for Great Britan. Populated by new recruits and a sprinkling of veterans, the crew must fight for survival as they are bombarded by an enemy they can't see up above them. This intense reissue of this classic movie finally comes to DVD in its original 5 hour German presentation for television. The original presentation was as a mini-series for German television and, as such, the pacing and structure differ significantly in some areas. The languid pacing of the movie only adds to the tension (I say languid because compared to the brisker two hour plus version, the film moves along much, much slower). The longer takes and slower pacing adds dramatic tension particularly to the film's second half. This edition ony has the featurette "The Making of Das Boot: Behind the Scenes" along with Columbia Tristar previews. If you own other versions of the movie, you may want to keep them for the extras not included here. On the other hand, if you own the Superbit edition of the Director's Cut, I'd suggest holding on to that as well. While the picture quality is very good throughout most of the movie, there are sections where the film clearly wasn't color corrected quite right and where there's a degradation of the picture quality. It's only slight but picky DVD fans will probably notice it immediately. The sterling performances are highlighted by Jurgen Prochnow in his first widely seen (in America)role as the ship's beleaguered captain. All the cast give convincing and powerful performances. This edition is subtitled in both English and French with the soundtrack available in both German and English in 5.1 remixes created from the original stereo master soundtrack. While these 5.1 mixes don't have quite the depth, clarity or volume of a film recorded and mixed for 5.1, the effect adds to the film. I personally preferred the original stereo soundtrack but that was just personal preference. The widescreen presentation of 1.85:1 means that those of you without widescreen television sets won't have to gaze an image that's tiny. It's certainly smaller than full screen and, yes, it does have the black bars at the bottom and top of the frame. I'm a bit confused about this as I was under the impression that the film was shot full screen for German television (it was, after all, produced in 1985) and matted after the fact. Why Columbia chose to go with the widescreen look vs. full screen is a bit perplexing. I realize they're playing to the audience that has widescreen TV's and looking to the future and all that but it was shot in another aspect ratio to begin with.
Anyhow, great movie with a solid if flawed transfer, "Das Boot" is worth viewing in its full length version.
Rating: 
Summary: The true facts---Life on a submarine
Review: "This is Lieutenent Werner, war correspondent." So says the U-boat's Captain to his second officer, amidst all the noise of a nightclub, as the latter tries to steady himself at attention. "He'll ship out with us. He'll report the true facts---life on a submarine." And it's through these eyes, figuratively speaking (Lieut. Werner does not speak to us or speak over the film), that we are taken on a journey through the atlantic's stormy waters, and to its depths. I've gone along for the ride over a dozens times thus far and have enjoyed this film with each viewing. Concerning the 3 versions available: If you're having movie night with some friends and want an enjoyable action adventure---very realistic depth charge explosives rocking this German sub (as well as your living room, if you have a surround sound system especially) then the original version will suit you well. This shortest version has a rather fast pace wherein something always is happening of a threatening nature, to either the sub itself or to the convoy freighters that the Germans are attempting to sink. The director's cut, in contrast, is about 50% longer and, as such, has a somewhat slower pace; as does this complete uncut version that was initially broadcast in Germany as an almost 6 hour mini-series. (Incidentially, the first 2 versions are simply edited versions of the latter one.) Owing to its lenth, I can understand how one would prefer one of the abbreviated versions (and I sometimes watch the director's cut for this reason myself), but when I want to really get immersed (pardon the pun) in this story I reach for this uncut version. For in this version it is far easier to feel aboard this sub as we watch the crew, like Lieutenent Werner does, with absorbing eyes; as they come alive to go on the attack, race to assume battle stations, rally in the face of death to save their craft when attacked themselves, or slumber/write/eat/sing/daydream of home. And one gets a lot more of the latter activities in this uncut version, giving us the closest experience most of us will ever get of being aboard a submarine. The lighting, the realism, the acting, the dialogue, the direction, you name it, everything about this film is consistantly superior to any other war film I've seen; and most other dramas as well. It is, in short, one of the finest efforts presented on film. I hope I have been of some help herein persuading you to consider seeing this motion picture in its full-lenth, most effective, form. (Unless you're 100% allergic to subtitles I recommend viewing the director's & uncut versions in the original German; and preferably on an otherwise quiet eve, in the dark, if you want to get the full import of this absorbing film.) Cheers!
Rating:
Summary: The original uncut 5-hour version!!!
Review: Available for the very first time in the US this fully uncut 2 disc version which aired on German television as a mini series in 1981 is sure to be a big hit! This has been long awaited for me. It was previously available only in Germany on VHS in a 3 cassette set. I bought a copy...2 years ago but don't know nearly enough German to understand it. This will hopefully have both English and German soundtracks with subtitles for each. I have a HUGE surround sound system in my basement with speakers on the ceiling. I cannot wait to watch it on this and make it seem like the U-boats are doing a flugnüber (German for "overflight") in my own basement!
Rating:
Summary: How do you expect other sub movies to compete?
Review: By now you know everyone thinks this is one of the greatest movies in the cinema. It is described as realistic, and has great camera work. You could probably go on forever about the actors and the directors and so forth. What is really interesting is they are all correct; this is one of the best sub movies ever. And you do get swallowed up in the action. There are other movies that can rival this one. Yet it does not diminish what was accomplished here.
The base story is the daily lives of an Unterseeboot crew. It shows the trials and tribulations they must go through to accomplish their missions. One thing you can be sure of is that this is not an anti war movie. They would not be there if they were not hunters.
You do get the feel of what it is like when the hunters become the hunted.
Rating:
Summary: Gosh!!!
Review: Dang i just bought the superbit edition...which is 3.5 hours long.. and i thought this version will never be release. oh well, screw it, i might as well buy it again..Das Boot is the BEST WW2 related movie ever. its a Masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Finally!
Review: Das Boot isn't merely one of the greatest WWII films, but one of the greatest films, period. It's a masterpiece of direction, acting, cinematography, and utterly gripping storytelling. On top of that, it also boasts great respect for its subject and unusual attention to technical detail. (If you're a U-boat buff, you'll be amazed at the level of research they did for this film.) Thank goodness we'll finally get to see the complete original version.
Rating:
Summary: YES!! IT'S ABOUT TIME!!
Review: Finally we can see the full cut of Das Boot on DVD. Not only does this new edition have a remastered anamorphic transfer, it finally has the full, original 4 hour 50 minute cut (290 minute)that was cropped into the US theatrical edition (2 1/2 hours) and the Director's Cut (3 1/2 hours), but in a movie where the quiet moments where we learn about the characters are the best, the original cut (it was originally made for TV as a 6 part mini-sieres)has my strongest recommendation. The movie itself is the BEST submarine movie ever made without question, and also a realistic portrayal of life in a crowded, dirty German U-boat in WWII, filled with people who just want to go home and live normal lives, but due to the war are denied the chance. You see throughout the movie that the characters are not sympathetic to the German cause and that they aren't really fighting for their country, but their lives. This is one of my favorite war movies for showing the war through a different viewpoint than the one normally seen and an example of great filmmaking (p.s. - aviod the dub at all costs - go for subtitles).
Rating:
Summary: A must have for Das Boot Fans and War Movie junkie alike
Review: First off, this is the 6 hour version of the famous movie Das Boot. It has everything that was in the movie version along with new whole scene. The only problem is there isn't much extra features. Unlike the movie DVD version, this one doesn't have the director's audio commentary. The only extra feature it has is the behind the scene that was also included in the movie version. Of course you should own both this version and the movie version.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Das Boot Yet
Review: If you speak English and like DVD format, this is THE definitive version of Das Boot to see.
The clarity of the format visually is excellent, the German is unbelievably clear. Here you'll see all of the parts that really should have been included in versions more accessible to Americans, that should NEVER have been cut out to make it "feature length."
The impact is even greater, the humanity the bonded the 50-odd sailors into the iron coffins of the U-Boot Waffe is palpable. While the differences are subtle, they are most dramatic...including the rendezvous of the Matrose with his pregnant French girlfriend, or the few minutes of detail left out when the Kaleun (Kapitänleutnant), LI (Leutnantingeneur), and Leutnant Werner (Marinekriegsberichter--reporter) take a stroll in La Spezia and the Captain informs these two they will not be going ashore...those few minutes show why Jürgen Prochnow IS a great actor.
All in all--the version to buy and to view more than once. Unless, of course, you speak German and can watch the German unedited version. Prost!
Rating:
Summary: Oh my God, it's true! It's happening!
Review: It's finally being released on DVD! The whole, original miniseries version of "Das Boot". And to think that just a couple of days ago I was commenting on the fact that nobody seemed to bother releasing it... I was considering to buy the "Director's Cut" edition in a couple of weeks if things stayed that way, then today I was going through my "to buy" list and searching here on Amazon for the titles, when I looked for "Das Boot" I noticed this new version among the results. I'm definitley buying this one. I still remember watching the miniseries on local TV all those years ago (in fact, I've still got it taped on VHS) and have anxiously been waiting for this moment to add it to my DVD collection. Definitely one of the best WW2 and anti-war productions I've ever seen. Don't miss it!
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